‘Health Care Bill of Rights’ Needed Now To Shield MI Families from Washington Plan to Hike Costs and End Protections for Seniors and People with Pre-Existing Conditions

Thursday, June 22, 2017

LANSING — State House Democrats today called on Republicans to immediately sign on to their “Health Care Bill of Rights,” which will protect Michigan families from the worst parts of the health care cuts U.S. Senate Republicans revealed today. The U.S. House has already passed a similar plan that would cause health care and prescription drug costs to skyrocket, and coverage to be reduced, or disappear altogether.

Unveiled in May, the Michigan Democrats’ “Health Care Bill of Rights” is a common-sense plan that ensures that people with pre-existing conditions won’t lose vital protections and seniors who aren’t eligible for Medicare won’t see changes that would force them to pay five times more for healthcare. The plan also protects people with employer-based health insurance from drastic rate increases and coverage caps.

“The time to support our ‘Health Care Bill of Rights’ is now. This should not be a partisan issue. Anyone who says they care about protecting seniors and people with pre-existing conditions and claims they are committed to keeping health care costs down should support our resolution. If Michigan Republicans refuse to sign onto our common-sense plan, they’re showing that they prioritize insurance company profits and giveaways to special interests over people’s health care, just like the GOP in Washington,” said House Democratic Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing).

The “Michigan Health Care Bill of Rights” is a resolution that:

Protects People with Pre-existing Conditions. The plan prevents people with pre-existing conditions from losing their protections. Republicans have proposed getting rid of or reducing essential health benefits, which includes pre-existing conditions like cancer or asthma. Republicans have also proposed allowing insurers to impose drastic increases in rates on those with pre-existing conditions and penalize them for gaps in coverage.

Stops the Republican ‘Age Tax.’ The plan protects seniors and older people who aren’t eligible for Medicare by banning insurance companies from jacking up their rates. Under the GOP’s plan, seniors would be forced to pay five times more than what other people pay. And millions of people would lose tax credits, causing their rates to skyrocket even more.

Prevents Massive Rate Hikes on People. The plan stops insurance companies from being able to jack up rates on people who get sick and need treatment or add coverage caps, which leave people with massive out-of-pocket costs.

Prevents Annual or Lifetime Health Care Coverage Caps. Insurance companies will not be allowed to go back to the days where they could impose coverage caps on health coverage, forcing many people, even those with employer-based health insurance, into bankruptcy in order to get treatments they need.